Hollywood accused of "whitewashing" over Prince of Persia film

Hollywood is facing accuastions of "whitewashing" after casting white actors to play lead roles as Asian and Middle Eastern characters in blockbuster movies.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton in Prince of Persia

Nick Allen in Los Angeles

10:00PM BST 28 May 2010

The row has been sparked following the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in which Jake Gyllenhall, an American of Swedish and Jewish descent, takes the title role.

His exotic princess is played by Gemma Arterton, the English actress, the daughter of a cleaner and a plumber from Gravesend, Kent.

Critics said that the casting was the latest example of Hollywood using white stars in non-white roles when the parts should have gone to actors with a Persian or Middle Eastern background.

Jehanzeb Dar, an independent filmmaker, said: "This part really needed to go to someone who's Persian. It's not only insulting to Persians, it's also insulting to white people. It's saying white people can't enjoy movies unless the protagonist is white."

The $150 million (£100 million) blockbuster, based on a video game, is set in ancient Persia. Gyllenhaal, 29, plays Dastan, a street urchin who is adopted by the king.

He later teams up with the feisty Princess Tamina, played by Arterton, 24, as they seek a magical dagger that allows its owner to travel back in time.

Gyllenhaal grew his hair for the part, while Arterton, who starred in the 2008 James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, practised horseback riding in Spain and dons Persian costumes.

Hollywood has a long history of racial controversy stretching back to the 1930s when well known white actors routinely used face paint to play black characters.

During the segregation era studios routinely considered race when making a film and even Lena Horne, Hollywood's first black leading lady, had her parts cut when movies films were shown in the South.

In the modern era studios rely on only a small number of big budget blockbusters to make the majority of their profits and are reluctant to take risks on casting unknown ethnic minority actors.

Chon Noriega, a professor of cinema at UCLA, said: "It's what has become habitual practice. I think it's the default setting and it takes a conscious choice to change." Another film which has also been accused of "whitewashing" is The Last Airbender, a $100 million (£70 million) fantasy film set to be released in July.

It is based on a martial arts cartoon series set in an Asian-influenced world but white actors have been cast as the three heroes of the film, including Texan-born Noah Ringer in the lead role of Aang.

Michael Le, who runs a fan website calling for a boycott of the film, said: "It becomes very clear that it's part of the historical pattern of Hollywood. It's because this is the standard procedure for Hollywood films, and it really shouldn't be. It's 2010." Paramount, which made the film, said more than half of the credited speaking roles were filled by actors representing cultures from around the world.

But critics said even today Hollywood often only promotes ethnic minority actors when casting secondary characters and background extras.

Another recent example was 21, a 2008 film based on the true story of a group of mostly Asian-American students at MIT and Harvard who take on Las Vegas casinos at blackjack. Their parts were mostly played by white actors.